San Diego mosque attack: Teen shooters leave behind hate-filled manifesto before opening fire

Federal and local investigators in San Diego have found a 75-page manifesto detailing radical, white supremacist ideologies left behind by two teenage gunmen who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday.

The shooters, identified as 18-year-old Caleb Vasquez and 17-year-old Cain Clark, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds after killing three community members who successfully blocked the attackers from reaching a school inside the complex housing 140 children.

According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily, the manifesto and digital evidence seized during searches reveal a deeply entrenched, multi-layered ideology of hatred.

Investigators state the two teens met online via messaging platforms like Discord before realising they lived in the same city. They quickly bonded over shared radical viewpoints.

More from World

The 75-page document heavily references "accelerationism"—a fringe, violent white supremacist ideology aimed at destroying modern society through chaotic acts of violence.

The writings glorify past white supremacist mass killers, drawing direct inspiration from the 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings. The teens also emulated this attack by filming a gruesome 10-minute video of their assault, which was subsequently uploaded to violent gore forums.

While the attack target was a mosque, the FBI noted the manifesto contains anti-Islamic, antisemitic, racist, and deeply misogynistic rhetoric. "These subjects did not discriminate in who they hated," Remily stated.

Stockpiled weapons and a missed warning

A massive cache of weapons, including 30 firearms, tactical gear, and a crossbow, was recovered during the investigation. Authorities revealed the weapons belonged to a parent of the 17-year-old shooter and were not registered to the teenagers.

Law enforcement received a frantic 911 call from Clark’s mother at 9:40 am on Monday, reporting her son missing, suicidal, clad in camouflage, and in possession of stolen firearms. While the tip immediately triggered a localised threat alert, police did not have a confirmed target until the teens opened fire at the Clairemont-neighborhood mosque complex around 11:43 am.

Three heroes honoured

The Islamic Center has praised the three victims, security guard Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad, as martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect others.

Abdullah immediately engaged the armour-clad gunmen in a parking lot shootout, hitting one attacker and triggering an emergency radio transmission. That call allowed the adjacent Bright Horizon Academy school to execute lockdown drills perfectly, securing the 140 children safely behind locked doors just 15 feet away from the gunmen.